Life of James Buchanan


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Ten Years in Washington


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London Calling North Pole


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Sixty years ago in Nazi-occupied Holland, over 50 British and Dutch spies parachuted into the waiting hands of German soldiers. Most were arrested immediately and many were executed. For decades historians and the curious public have struggled to understand exactly what transpired behind the closed doors of the both the allied and axis intelligence during what came to be known as Operation North Pole and Das Englandspiel. With key expository information sealed to this day, no one can say for certain who was fooling who. Were the Nazi's taking advantage of an inept and disorganized British intelligence service? Or was the operation a self-sacrificial ploy on the part of the British to mislead Nazi intelligence about Allied planned attacks? In this unique memoir, Hermann Giskes offers insight into the mysteries of Operation North Pole. Giskes, a high-ranking member of the German intelligence organization Abwehr, was one of the masterminds behind the operation. London Calling North Pole is an exciting and intriguing account of WWII from within the intelligence community, providing a compelling and honest account of the Englandspiel operation. Giskes gives us a glimpse into his keen mind and personal understanding of the ins and outs of Operation North Pole. London Calling North Pole is the perfect complement to British cryptographer Leo Marks' Between Silk and Cyanide. A must read for students of history, cryptologists, WWII buffs, and those seeking a better understanding of military intelligence.




Toronto, No Mean City


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Eric Arthur fell in love with Toronto the first time he saw it. The year was 1923; he was twenty-five years old, newly arrived to teach architecture at the University of Toronto. For the next sixty years he dedicated himself to saving the great buildings of Toronto's past. Toronto, No Mean City sounded a clarion call in his crusade. First published in 1964, it sparked the preservation movement of the 1960s and 1970s and became its bible. This reprint of the third edition, prepared by Stephen Otto, updates Arthur's classic to include information and illustrations uncovered since the appearance of the first edition. Four new essays were commissioned for this reprint. Christopher Hume, architecture critic and urban affairs columnist for the Toronto Star, addresses the changes to the city since the appearance of the third edition in 1986. Architect and heritage preservation activist Catherine Nasmith assesses the current status of the city's heritage preservation movement. Susan Crean, a freelance writer in Toronto, explores Toronto's vibrant arts scene. Mark Kingwell, professor and cultural commentator, reflects on the development of professional and amateur sports in and around town. Readers will delight in these anecdotal accounts of the city's rich architectural heritage.




Arctic Ordeal


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Only a handful of the original members of Sir John Franklin's first Arctic expedition returned. John Richardson was one of them. His journal recounts their journey across the Barren Grounds, providing many details not found in Franklin's own 1823 narrative and raising questions about Franklin's ability as a leader. In addition to his achievements as a doctor, meteorologist, and cartographer, Richardson was the first great naturalist to study the North American Arctic. His journal made such an outstanding contribution to ornithology, ichthyology, botany, and geology that much of modern Arctic research is founded upon his observations.




Irish in Ontario, 1st Edition


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Hailed as one of the most important books on social sciences of the last fifty years by the Social Sciences Federation of Canada. Akenson argues that, despite the popular conception of the Irish as a city people, those who settled in Ontario were primarily rural and small-town dwellers. Though it is often claimed that the experience of the Irish in their homeland precluded their successful settlement on the frontier in North America, Akenson's research proves that the Irish migrants to Ontario not only chose to live chiefly in the hinterlands, but that they did so with marked success. Akenson also suggests that by using Ontario as an "historical laboratory" it is possible to make valid assessments of the real differences between Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics, characteristics which he contends are much more precisely measurable in the neutral environment of central Canada than in the turbulent Irish homeland. While Akenson is careful not to over-generalize his findings, he contends that the case of Ontario seriously calls into question conventional beliefs about the cultural limitations of the Irish Catholics not only in Canada but throughout North America.